Evaluation of Socioeconomic Position and Survival After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Korea Using Structural Equation Modeling

ImportanceThe association between low socioeconomic position (SEP) and poor survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has not been thoroughly investigated. ObjectivesTo evaluate the association between individual SEP and survival after OHCA and to identify any mediating pathways using structural equation modeling (SEM). Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis is a retrospective cohort study that used data collected from January 2013 to December 2019. Participants were adults with OHCA with a presumed cardiac etiology. The study was conducted in Korea, which has a universal health insurance system. Data were analyzed from January 2022 to February 2023. ExposuresIndividual SEP was measured by insurance type (National Health Insurance [NHI] and medical aid [MA]) and premiums. SEP was categorized into 5 groups, in which NHI beneficiaries were divided into quartiles (Q1, highest quartile; Q4, lowest quartile), and MA was the lowest SEP group. Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcome was survival to discharge. The association between SEP and OHCA survival was examined using multivariable logistic regression, and mediating factors were identified using SEM. ResultsA total of 121516 patients (median [IQR] age, 73 [60-81] years; 43912 [36.1%] female patients) were included. Compared with the NHI Q1 group, individuals with lower SEP had lower odds of survival to discharge. The adjusted odds ratios of survival to discharge were 0.97 (95% CI, 0.94-1.00), 0.88 (95% CI, 0.85-0.91), 0.91 (95% CI, 0.88-0.94), and 0.53 (95% CI, 0.50-0.56) for the NHI Q2, NHI Q3, NHI Q4, and MA groups, respectively. Several factors were found to mediate the association of SEP and survival in the total study population, with mediating proportions of 15.1% (95% CI, 11.8%-18.4%) for witnessed status, 4.8% (95% CI, 3.5%-6.0%) for bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation provision, 41.8% (95% CI, 35.4%-48.1%) for initial rhythm, and 9.4% (95% CI, 7.4%-11.4%) for emergency department level. Among patients who survived to hospital admission, the mediation proportions were 11.8% (95% CI, 6.7%-16.9%) for witnessed status, 3.7% (95% CI, 1.3%-6.1%) for bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation provision, 56.2% (95% CI, 41.0%-71.4%) for initial rhythm, 10.7% (95% CI, 6.1%-15.3%) for emergency department level, 20.2% (95% CI, 14.0%-26.5%) for coronary angiography, and 4.2% (95% CI, 2.2%-6.1%) for targeted temperature management. Conclusions and RelevanceIn this cohort study of patients with OHCA, lower individual SEP was significantly associated with lower survival to discharge. Potentially modifiable mediators can be targeted for public health interventions to reduce disparities in survival among patients with OHCA of different SEP.